I’m not too fond of the Washington, DC punk and hardcore scene, but Lungfish is quite a find. Fugazi is a prime reference point for this band, seeing as Ian MacKaye produced Rainbows from Atoms. The recording is stripped down, a raw sound as if the band were playing live in your living room.

Lungfish is intelligent, both musically and lyrically. The vocalist and songwriter Daniel Higgs gets my vote for the new Michael Stipe: “poetic,” vague yet meaningful, and very stimulating. The three other band members know when to crank up the volume and when to tone it down. The musicianship always remains solid and consistent. “Fresh Air Cure” is my favorite of the bunch with its groovin’ bass line and drumbeat and the rambling vocals.

A fan of early R.E.M. looking for a fresher, harder, and braver voice will like Lungfish. I’m sure Dischord loyalists already have their copy.